The Missoula County Board of County Commissioners approved a series of annual organizational resolutions on Jan. 2, 2025, including appointing Commissioner Juanita Vero as chair for calendar year 2025, confirming the county’s official posting location for public meetings, adopting the regular meeting schedule and office hours for elected offices, setting the daily credit-for-incarceration rate at $138 for 2025, and formally adopting a resolution that defines the duties of the county’s chief administrative officer.

Chris Lowensbury, the county’s chief administrative officer, told the board these yearly resolutions implement statutory requirements and long-standing county practice. On the daily incarceration credit, Lowensbury said the detention center’s calculation increased the rate “to a $138 per day for the cost of credit for incarceration” for 2025; he added the change reflects increased costs from 2024.

On organization and governance, the board followed historical rotation practice and appointed Commissioner Juanita Vero chair for 2025. The board also reaffirmed the county’s official physical posting location for public meeting notices as 199 West Pine Street and set regular public meetings for the first, second and fourth Thursday of each month at 2 p.m., with administrative meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. The board adopted county office hours of Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., subject to legal holidays and departmental needs.

County staff presented a resolution that codifies the duties and responsibilities of the chief administrative officer, describing the CAO as the board’s chief policy advisor, the liaison to other elected officials and the administrator responsible for county real property needs in coordination with facilities. Chris Lowensbury said the draft largely codifies the long-standing job description and that no substantive changes to the scope of duties were proposed.

Each resolution was opened for public comment; no members of the public spoke on these items. Commissioners moved, seconded and approved each resolution by voice vote during the same meeting. The board’s actions fulfill annual statutory and administrative duties and set the governance rules the board will follow for 2025.